Less than two months after revealing publicly that he would soon become a dad for the first time, HGTV‘s Brian Patrick Flynn, 47, is celebrating the birth of his baby girl. On the night of April 17, 2024, the “HGTV Dream Home” and “Urban Oasis” designer and host, along with his husband Hollis Smith, welcomed their daughter Clover, he shared in his Instagram Stories.
Ahead of her birth, Flynn, 47, told People, “We’re naming her Clover because we both have Irish backgrounds and we didn’t want a name that anybody else really knew about. It’s not a super popular name and it’s not necessarily a word that’s used as a name. And as a designer, I love the idea of going with a color.”
Clover was born via a gestational surrogate as her dads anxiously awaited her arrival at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, shown as they chronicled the days and hours leading up to their daughter’s birth in their Instagram Stories — including trying every trick they could think of to trigger labor after the due date had passed. During the pregnancy, they became very close with their surrogate, Marissa, who also shared her perspective of the experience on her Instagram feed.
“The whole story is just total magic because now she’s absolutely a forever family member,” Flynn told People in February, revealing that they discovered Marissa through a friend who runs a surrogacy agency. “So is her husband and so are her kids. They will be Uncle Nathan and Aunt Marissa and her kids will basically be cousins to our kid.”
After arriving home from the hospital on April 18, Marissa shared in her Instagram Stories that the labor and delivery was much more challenging than with her own children, but that she’s thrilled for Flynn and Smith. Meanwhile, friends and fans were thrilled by the new dads’ news and moved by the video Flynn created to announce their baby’s arrival.
Brian Patrick Flynn Shares ‘Part One’ of Daughter Clover’s Birth Story
The day after baby Clover’s birth, which Marissa said occurred around 8:35 p.m. Central time Flynn and Smith posted a touching video of their time in the hospital set to Brandi Carlile’s song, “The Story.”
With footage ranging from him and Smith sitting on the floor of the hospital hallway to Clover’s tiny feet being inked and marked on paper, fans and friends swooned over the video as they celebrated the baby’s birth. Among the Flynn’s HGTV colleagues who liked his post were Steve Ford, Alison Victoria and Hilary Farr.
“Battle on the Beach” star Taniya Nayak wrote, “Yesss! We have a baby!!! ❤️ Congratulations! Welcome little sweet Clover. Can’t wait to meet you 🥰”
Actress Faith Ford commented, “Ok I’m a puddle…Welcome to the world sweet Clover!💞🍀💖”
One fan wrote, “complete stranger sobbing like a total dork over here- SO happy for ALL of you!!!!”
Another commented, “Congratulations to you all….Welcome to the World sweet baby. This woman brought forth the absolute greatest gift you’ll ever receive 👣”
Flynn and Smith, who have been together for 18 years and married in 2018, per People, won’t return to their Atlanta home with Clover right away, Marissa shared in her Instagram Stories before the birth. But when they do, their home is fully ready for their little family, which is no small feat given the fixes it’s required lately.
On March 18, Flynn posted that “Mother Nature” had suddenly torn up their driveway “earthquake-style with hardcore tree roots” and that their front yard was “completely demolished,” costing a “small fortune to fix.” The following day, he posted that a leak had created so much water damage in their bathroom, that a “total gut remodel” was underway.
Flynn joked at the time, “NOW? Sure, why not? Seems like a splendid idea. Timing is totally perfect.”
On April 12, though, he shared a much happier update, reporting that all the necessary fixes were complete, ready for their baby’s arrival, including “a brand spankin’ new driveway for a new Dadmobile.”
Brian Patrick Flynn & His Husband Headed to St. Louis to Wait for Labor to Begin
Prior to Clover’s birth, Flynn and Smith spent time in St. Louis with Marissa and her family, trying to induce labor with every trick in the book, from spicy Mexican food to a stop at an ice cream parlor, they shared in their Stories on April 14, which was Clover’s actual due date, according to a video they filmed with the “Surrogacy is” agency.
Eventually, Marissa agreed to try castor oil — a powerful laxative meant to stimulate the bowels, but that has been known to induce labor, certified nurse midwife Sybilla Howell told Parents.com.
“Castor oil can be used at home to get the cervix ready for labor and cause contractions or intensify contractions that are already happening on their own,” Howell said, though she urged patients to consult with their doctors beforehand.
The castor oil finally did the trick, Marissa thinks, because she went into labor within several hours, she shared in her Stories.
Back at home, Marissa said she’s pumping breastmilk for Clover every two hours and that though she has two of her own children, this was the first time she’s served as a surrogate for another couple. When someone asked whether she felt sad not being able to take Clover home with her, Marissa said she wasn’t feeling any grief and went through the entire pregnancy knowing that the baby was not hers.
“As of right now I am very, very happy for them and their new little bundle they now have and very, very happy for me and the new little bundle that I do not have 😜,” she wrote.
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